Shuttle Skipper Probed in Near Miss of 2 Jets

Three federal agencies have begun investigating the commander of the most recent space shuttle mission, who was accused of violating flight regulations after a small jet he was flying nearly collided with a Pan Am airliner, officials said Wednesday.

The pilot of the Pan Am Airbus 310 reported a “near midair collision” after the incident over the Washington area Monday evening. The airline pilot, who was not identified, said that the T-38 trainer jet, with Navy Capt. David M. Walker at the controls, flew within 500 feet of the airliner.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that air traffic controllers filed a “pilot deviation report” accusing Walker of violating flight procedures.

Walker’s plane had descended to 7,000 feet--the altitude to which the Pan Am jet had been assigned--when a controller ordered him to climb to 8,000 feet, FAA spokesman John Leyden said. Tape recordings and other data will show just what happened and how close the two aircraft came to colliding, Leyden said.

In addition to the FAA inquiry, the National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into the incident and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration also was conducting an inquiry.

Leyden said that a civilian pilot could get an administrative letter for such an offense or face action affecting his license, but, because Walker is a Navy aviator, any conclusion from the investigations probably will be referred to the military.